Do you tell kids off who are strangers?

[abacucat]

I do. I will not walk by. Told teenage boy today that he should not have kicked shop sign. Tell kids off for dropping litter and similar.

Yes! Told some silly boys off who were playing catch with a basket ball over a main road.

Hit a car on its roof while driving and near misses with several parked cars (including my own)

Yes, I do. I’ve worked in schools for years so it probably stems from that. Makes me wonder why other people don’t tbh. It takes a village and all that.

I speak but don’t shout. A lot of the time they’re just being thoughtless rather than malicious.

I pick my battles.

I had to tell a child to get out of the road as he was going to get run over.

Would I tell a teenager to pick litter up or stop kicking a sign ? No because I live on a rough estate and I’d get told to fuck off or worse. There is many a time I’ve had to tell dh not to go out to a crowd of teenagers outside our house on weekend. You just never know what’s going to happen

I didn't before I had kids but I do now. My sister's wanted the ground to swallow them when I told a boy off for bouncing a ball and getting in people's way in Aldi. His mum was right at the other end of the shop not paying attention.

Yes, if they're doing anything dangerous, are scaring others, or are ruining a shared environment (eg littering) but it makes my children cringe if they are there!

johndoe I judge the situation first after having had a kid and a friend throw stones at me until I got on a bus for telling a kid to pick up his litter. So I judge first if I am safe or not.

Yes, I told a couple of teenage girls to get out of a tree they were climbing in the park. It was a young tree and I could hear the branches beginning to snap.

No...not my place. If I see a random child in a playground about to hit another and there's no parent around, I might say 'oh, that's not kind, don't hit that boy' in my nicest friendliest voice..but that's about it!

Be careful, there are so many stories about altercations such as you describe (also road rage incidents) that end with the person having acid thrown in their face/taking a stab wound for their trouble.

I agree in principle that 'it takes a village', but at the cost of a life changing injury to me or mine? No thanks.

So I judge first if I am safe or not

So said many a victim of horrific violence.

I do judge the kids first. But I do think it is very much my place to tell kids off.

Not if they aren’t harming anybody. If they are just being a bit irritating no. I wouldn’t tell them off just nicely tell them.

I do.
I enjoy it

I am an older grey haired woman which I also think makes me safer. DP does worry I will get thumped when I tell off men. Still do it though. Never been thumped yet.

DP told off some teenage girls for littering at the start of the summer holidays. He made them pick it up and told them to go and find a bin. They were a bit lippy but went very red and did as they were asked. Then went up the road and shouted abuse at us

HRT
I am much braver than when I was younger. I want to be that elderly woman who uses her handbag to hit a burglar breaking into a jewellers job in broad daylight.
I think bravery matters.

Tara Yes I find teenagers who I tell off often give me the finger behind my back after picking up dropped litter, etc. I ignore it. They are trying to save face with friends. But I believe they will think twice next time.

Although many years ago, before I had kids, I was driving round a roundabout...there were some teenagers standing on it and one of them threw a stone which hit my windscreen...didn't break it but I stopped my car and screamed at them. They looked petrified and apologised profusely . I like to think my actions saved them from a life of crime!

I have told off children in public, one was throwing bread down for my dog and we moved away from them and she carried on. She could see that I wasn’t happy and her mother was oblivious, mother wasn’t happy when I told the child to stop. Also a teacher though so used to using my best stern voice without shouting!

Occasionally, not often. Not too long ago I told two teenage boys on the bus to leave a younger boy alone. One of them shut up and sat down immediately, the other asked what I was going to do about it and I took a step towards him and said "you really want to find out?" That was a very stupid thing for me to do on so many levels and I shouldn't have, but as it happened his friend yanked at his arm and he also sat down and was quiet. I'm lucky it ended that way though.

I don't shout. I do use a very stern telling off voice.
And I don't agree with this mealy mouthed - your kid is kicking me but don't tell them to stop, tell the parent so they can tell them to stop. If someone is hurting me, I tell that person to stop.

Also told teenage boy off for playing music in bus with swearing and offensive language. He apologised and turned it off.

It depends on what they are doing really,children making a noise and being irritating out and about I would just give what my family call ‘ the look’ , teens making a noise outside my house late at night I would politely ask them to move along as we were trying to sleep. The child who was chasing a chicken with a stick at the animal farm absolutely I did, parents nowhere in sight which probably says it all really.

Yes, politely though. I’ll say ‘tone it down, eh?’ If they’re being loud and sweary. Never had a mouthful back. Usually an apology and they shuffle off.

I did have four boys smashing bottles down my road. I went out and offered to help them clear it up. Two legged it, one stayed and moaned at his mate for being a twat, and he sheepishly cleared it up.

I’ve no qualms about it. I try not to embarrass them because I think that’s when they can be arseholes back.